Brian Jeffrey
On July 17, Major General Nopasilp Poonsawat, Deputy Chief of Bangkok Police, named the suspect in the case involving the death of six Vietnamese individuals at the Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel in Bangkok as Sherine Chong, a 56-year-old Vietnamese-American.
Chong stayed in room 502 on the 5th floor of the Grand Hyatt Erawan alone while inviting the five victims to join her in the room on July 15.
Before the tragic incident, Chong ordered food and tea from the hotel but prepared the tea herself, declining assistance from the hotel staff. Security cameras captured the victims entering the room, where they remained until all six bodies were discovered by the hotel staff on the evening of July 16.
Chong had invited the victims to invest in construction projects, including a couple who had invested in a hospital project in Japan. Disputes arose, leading to a lawsuit scheduled in court soon. Chong proposed negotiations before the court date, initially planning to meet in Japan but ultimately choosing Bangkok due to visa obstacles.
The victims arrived in Bangkok separately, lodged in various rooms at the Grand Hyatt Erawan. While the victims checked out on July 15, Chong retained room 502 and invited them back for discussions, providing food and tea.
Major General Nopasilp disclosed the presence of cyanide residues in used tea cups in the hotel room. Investigations are underway to ascertain the origin of the cyanide, whether it was brought into Thailand illegally or obtained locally.
Lieutenant General Trairong Phiewphan, head of the Thai police forensic science division, noted that cyanide was also identified in tea bags recovered from the hotel room. The victims included individuals from both Vietnamese and Vietnamese-American backgrounds.
Suspicions arise that after poisoning the victims, Chong took her own life by consuming poison. Chong had traveled to Thailand on five prior occasions.
Minh Thu
